| Abstract: | Assessed the effect of speech-anxious Ss acting as behavior therapists for other speech-anxious Ss. 41 undergraduates were divided into helper, helpee, latent helper, and waiting list control groups. Helpers learned behavioral techniques for anxiety reduction in a training seminar and then taught the techniques to the helpee group. Latent helpers only participated in the training seminar and did not train other Ss until after the posttreatment assessment. Both the helpers and helpees significantly reduced speech anxiety on each behavioral and self-report measure relative to the waiting list control group at posttreatment, and the improvement was maintained at a 3-mo follow-up. At posttreatment, the latent helpers improved on all self-report measures and one of the behavioral measures. The helpers showed more absolute improvement on each measure than the helpees or latent helpers; however, none of these differences was significant. The use of people with behavioral problems as therapists for others with similar problems is discussed from a therapeutic and an economic perspective. (27 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved) |
